Touching in psychological practice

Abstract

This summarises some core research on touching in human development. Rules of touching are discussed, in Pākehā, Māori and professional psychology cultures. Examples are given of touch gone wrong in terms of these rules. Possible rationales for touching and not touching are offered, followed by some fairly conservative guidelines. It is assumed some of these would be mutable over time.

"... a patient was unable to bring herself to touch a chair which she regarded as contaminated. The therapist and a nurse who was assisting modelled touching the chair, but the patient was unable to do so. The therapist asked whether the patient knew of a children's game, in which people put their hands, one after another, on top of the previous hand; the bottom hand is then pulled out and put on top, and so on. The game was played on the contaminated chair (with a great deal of laughter); the patient had touched the chair several times, and the programme was begun."

(Salkovskis& Kirk, 1993).